Nautical instrument



June 2, 1931. w LEw|$ NAUTICAL INSTRUMENT Filed March 23, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ndm k Q Q Wilewz i as BY ATTORNEY June 2, 1931. w. E. LEWIS NAUTICAL INSTRUMENT Filed March 23, l928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Eben/aa- BY W10 ATTORNEY June 2, 1931.

ATTORNEY mien i=9.

3 Shee ts-Sheet 3 MN Illlll Illlllunlllll L: INVENTOR IIIIIIIIIIII Filed March 23. 1928 Patented June 2, 1931 v (UNITED;-

WILLIAM E. LEWIS,; onwnsr MYSTIC, connnc'rrcur- NAUTICAL INSTBIIMENEE.

Application filed March as, 1928. seriarnt. 264,196.

I My invention relates to nautical-instruments for indicating direction and distance betwen two points of a chart. An'obj ect oi the invention istoprovidea chart or map holder whereby any one" ot a pluralityof mapsor charts may be exposed foruse, together with an instrument for indicating direction: and distance bet points on the exposed map.

Further the invention provides a: nautical instrument which may be readily adjusted to'the present location of the shipzandi a predetermined point on the map, and'thus readily indicate the nautical mileage between such points. v

The invention also contemplatesan instrument of this character whereby the maps or charts are enclosed and are at a ll'times retained in a'smooth condition; 1

With the preceding and other: objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists in the novel combination of elements, constructions and arrangemet' of parts to' be hereinafter specifically referred to; claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I I

Figure 1 isa toppl'anv iew' of the'dnven- Figure Q'isa side elevation of 'the' same Figure '3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;- Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional viewt'aken online of Figure-1 Fi taken on'line' ofFigure' 4%;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on 1ine-6'-'6 of Figure 4 I Figure 1-7 isafragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation of the longitudinally movable carriage embodied in the' invention; v

Figure' 8 is a fragmentary detail view partly insection and partly in el'evationillust-rating one of the map carry-ingroll'ers andits mounting; V FigureQ is a' similar view'takenat right angles to Figure 8; y

' Figure 10 iS'fa sectional detaili view of: the casing mounting, embodied in the: invention;

een

clamping jaws.

gure 5 is a horizontal sectional view Figure His a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 10 g Referring to'the invention in detail a relatively fiat substantially rectangular casing I 5 having a hinged-top 6 is provided, the latter 5a having a glassor window 4, which extends substantiallythe entire area of the top. The

casing 5 is supported from: a vertical bracket 7' having spaced bearings 8' at its upper end which receive a fixed horizontal pivot 9 about (in which a socket lOis horizontally adjustable,

the pivot 9Ybeing held against rotation by a keyqll engaged. with the bracket and pivot. The socket 10 is bifurcated at its lower end to afi'ord a pair of clamping jaws 12 which are held in clamped engagement withthe pivotbyan adjusting screw 13 passingtransverse'ly throughthe jaws'and having threaded-engagement therewithz It will be observed 7 that the socket. maylee-adjusted to any desired point-about a hori'zont'alax'i's and held in this position through: the medium of the To permit the, casing to beswung to any selected position about a vertical axis,ta-'plate '75 14, secured to the under face-of the casing centrallythereof and carrying" a central vertical pivot15'revoluble-in'the socket, is provided." Thi's socket, is. bifurcated longitudi- I 'nally' atone side to afford, parallel laterally e projeotingears 16, which are'engaged by adjusting-screw 17, to draw the walls of the socketia gai'nst the pivot- 15 to hold the casing' in adjusted position about its. vertical axis.

N longitudinally flexiblesheet 18, containing a series of" maps or charts, is movable longitudinally ofthe casing beneath-the glass 6 l and adapt'ed?to}be wound from one roller 1'9'onto another, arranged transversely of the '90 casing'at; the-ends thereof; These rollers are removably supported in pairs oftransversely alined' U -shapecl" bearings 20 formed on the upper ends or vertical braclretsQl", extending ffro'mthe bottomx wall of tlie casing; 1

Cooperatingaitheach of'the rollersin rotatin'g'the same to advance the sheet through 'the casing' is a pair of stub shafts 22 journalled in the side walls of the casing in longitudinal ahnementwitha the rollers andv pro- 1436 j ecting into axial recesses 23 in the ends there the rollers and slots 25 in the ends'of the stubshaftsf To normally hold the stub shafts against longitudinal movement where the slots 25 will interlock with the pins 24 resilient latch elements 26 extending at right face of the side walls of the casing, and at 7 their free ends carry ears 28 which engage .shafts.

in circumferential groovesa29 in the stub rollers, it'will only be necessary to raise the resilient latch elements 26 to disengage the pins 28 from the circumferential groovesand the stub shafts slide outwardly fromthecasing. At their outer ends the stub shafts carry;

disks 30, one of each pair of which is provided with an actuating handle 31 whereby either one of the rollers, inay be rotated to advance the longitudinal sheet in thedesired direction. I v r f In order to'hold the exposed area of the sheet against the under face of the glass,

and to retain the sheet against accidental longitudinal displacement, a clamping plate 32 is arranged withinthe casing beneath the glass and carries pairs of downwardly :pro-

ject-ing stems 33 at its ends slidably engaged within vertically disposed sleeves or sockets 34 extending from the bottom of the casing; EXpansible coil springs 35encircling I these stems engage the upper ends ofthe sleeves or sockets and the under face of the tor is provided. The-protractor and'direction indicator comprises a pair. of longitudithe guide bars 36 to .nally extending guide bars 36 secured to the upper face of the casing adjacent its 0pposite longitudinal edges and spacechfrom the casing by upstanding bosses 37 to which the bars are attached by fastenings 38. -.A carriage comprising rectangular sleeves 39, slidable on the guide bars and connected by parallel-guide'bars 40 extending transversely of the casing, is longitudinally movable of the latter. Eachof these guides 39 is provided with a removable side plate 41 held. in'place by removable fastenings42. Theinner face of each of the plates is provided with an elongated recess 43 in which a corrugated leaf spring 44 is arranged, thelatter engaging hold the carriage in adjusted position. i V 1 1 r 1 A horizontal plate 45 isarranged between When it is desired. to remove the the guide bars and carries rectangular sleeves 46 at its ends, slidably received on the guide bars 40, to permit the plate tobe adjusted transversely of they casing. The sleeves 46 are also provided with removable plates 45 which carry leaf springs 46 identical to the springs 44 and which engage the guide bars 40. An upstanding splitclamping collar 47 projects centrally from the upper face of angles to the stub shafts are fixed to laterally extending brackets 27 attached to the inner the plate 45 with which it is integrally asso -ciated, and encircles a hollow shaft 48 pass- .ing through the plate and depending below the saine,'as particularly illustrated in Figure 6. The split collar 47 is of a greater diameter than the hollow shaft, and embraces an annular flange or .ring48 projecting centrally' from the under face, of a. compassroseor dial 49, thecompass-rose and annular 'fiange being rotatably received on the hollow shaft. fLateral ears 50 project from v the: free edges of the split collar 47 and are engaged by a horizontally disposed hand operated screw '51 for thepurpose of, draw-. ing the clamp into. such frictional engagement with the annular flange as to prevent 'freerotation of the compass-rose. An indicating hand 54 is carried by the upper end of thehollow shaft and is movable over the graduations on the compass-rose. A second split collar 51a depends from the under face ofthe plate. 45, through which the hollow shaft. passes: Lateral' ears 52 are provided on the, collar 51a and are engaged by an adjusting bolt 531whereby the collar maybe drawn sufiiciently tightagainst the hollow shaft as-to prevent free rotation of the lats- -YA horizontally disposed protractor arm 55, having-one end 'fixed tothe lower end of the hollow shaft, is provided, and normally lies in close relationto the glass and -exposedm'ap beneatli'the-same This pro tractor arm is graduated in nauticalmile's andis adapted to be swung to any desired point over. an exposed-map. with the shaft; 48asitsaxis I 'hebperatioh of theinvention as fol 'lows The compass-rose is first adjustedto dispose itscenter (the hollow shaft 48) di-,

rectly above the-point of present locationon the map. This isaccomplished; by adjustment of the carriage longitudinally of the casing and the compass-rose transversely thereof, andsighting the map by looking through; the hollow shaft. With the compass-rose thus positioned .overthe point of presentlocation'the ,protractor arm is swung to a position where it intersects-the center of the compass markings C'which are provided on each of the charts or maps'on the sheet pose its markings orindicia in the same re- 18. Thecompass-rose isnow rotated to dis the protractor arm and tubular member and only necessary to swing the protractor arm to the dotted line position to intersect the port designated at X. The distance in nautical mileage may be readily ascertained by observing the graduations on the protractor arm from the compass-rose to the port of destination. By reason of the indicating hand 54 being fixed to the hollow shaft 4L8 move together. Thus with the protractor arm lying in the dotted line position, the indicating hand will lie in the dotted line position and indicate the direction of the port of destination.

It will be observed that it will be only necessary to adjust the compass-rose to correspond to the compass marking C of each map. That is to say, after the compass rose is adjusted it will remain in such ment until another Inap into osition for use.

at is claimed An apparatus of the character described including a base, a carriage slidably mounted on the base, a plate longitudinally adjustable on the carriage, a through the plate and rotatably supported thereby, a compass-rose revoluble with one end of the tubular member and havingv a depending circular flange surrounding said end, a protractor arm carried by the opposite end of the tubular member, split collars extending from each face of the plate respectively,

has been brought the other of said collars embracing said circular flange, and means co-operatlng with each of the collars for causing the same to frictionally engage the tubular member and flange respectively.

WILLIAM E. LEWIS.

indicating hand will tubular member extending one of said collars embracing the 

